Alika struggled to keep his head afloat as storm driven waves tossed him about. With every moment the wind and current carried him away from the Morning Mist and any chance of rescue. From the sea we came and to the sea we shall return, such was the litany spouted by the Gozreh priests; however, he did not think his current predicament was what they meant.

Half an hour earlier...

Dreams of scantily clad scarf dancers entertained Alika as he slept ensconced in a soft feather bed. In the dream a cannon fired in the distance frightening the four beautiful girls and in their panic they sought protection from him. When the cannon fired again the girls clung tighter to his muscled frame.

One of the girls looked up into his eyes with terror lighting her alluring eyes. "Your Highness wake up!" With a start he opened his eyes to see the face of one of the Royal Guards who'd fetched him from his mother's home.

"Your Highness! You must get up!" The guard shouted over a rumble of thunder. "We must get you to a life boat! Lightning struck the mast!"

His brain still fogged by sleep and the phantom feel of softness pressed against him, Alika got out of bed wearing only his knee length night shorts. It was only his natural reflexes that allowed him to catch the pants thrown his way by the guard, but the shirt that followed smacked him in the face snapping him from his daze. Growling he ripped the shirt down to upbraid the insolent man only to find that he'd left.

Quickly, his anger still simmering, he pulled the pants on before running out the door, the shirt still gripped in his hand. In the passage he just caught a glimpse of the guard as he disappeared up the ladder to the main deck. He also caught snatches of shouts from the sailors; "Furl those sails you dogs!", "Get some sand on that fire mates, with this wind the rain's not going to put it out alone."

At the mention of fire Alika doubled his pace to make it up the ladder. On the main deck all was chaos with sailers running everywhere to loosen cables and secure other things to the deck. It was the bright orange flames near the front mast that really grabbed his attention.

"Your Highness the boats are over here!" appearing again, the guard was waving his arm in an urgent manner.

Having never been in real danger his entire life he was a little at a loss so he rushed to where the guard stood. Not waiting for Alika to arrive, the guard moved to the ship's rail and shouted down to someone. Assuming it to be a crew readying a boat he approached without caution, but upon arriving he found no boat or crew.

"What is the meaning of this?!" He demanded.

"Loyalty your Highness." The guard announced as he pulled a dagger. "I hate to do this because I like you, but your Cousin is the true heir to the throne." He then lunged at Alika with his dagger.

Sweeping his left arm down and out, Alika deflected the thrust. "My Cousin! Why would you show loyalty to a demon worshiping fiend!?"

With a punch toward Alika's throat that was barely blocked, the guard spoke again. "Loyalty is more complicated than you will ever know." Suddenly the guard dropped his dagger and dove for the deck.

Alika had just enough time to turn before a block and tackle smacked him in the face. Reeling from the blow he stepped back into the ship's rail and his momentum took him over the side. Hitting the water it was the current that saved him from being sucked under the hull as the ship cut through the waves.

Now...

A large wave drove Alika under and into the churning darkness of the sea. Desperately he tried to swim to the surface for a breath but the waves kept him just below the plain where life giving air met the vast expanse of water. His lungs began to burn and just as he began to consign himself to death's cruel embrace his neck began to itch.

The itch soon turned into a pain like a thousand needles ripping through his throat. Letting forth a scream water rushed into his mouth and the pain subsided. Now he had the strangest of feelings as water was pumped in through his mouth and out the new gills that had opened on his neck.

His mother's last words to him as he left returned to him. "We are of the sea Alika. You may one day rule that little island, but the sea will call you home."